Receptacle-filling apparatus



T. wEsTI-:N AND II. IyMoREIIoIIsE.

RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS. ,APPLICATION FILED APILza, I92 I. f

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETSw-SHEET l.

T. WESTEN AND H. l. MOREHOUSE.

RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS.

VAPPLICATION HLED APR. 2e, 192|.

1,435,56s-v mmm. 14,1922'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a, MW@

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RECEPTACLE-FILLING APPARATUS.

Application led April 28, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, THEODORE VESTEN and RALPH J. MoREHoUsE, citizens of the United States, residing at Visalia, State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Receptacle-Filling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for filling boxes or other receptacles, and the primary purpose of the invention is t0 provide novel means for accurately and successively filling each of a plurality of receptacles to a given Weight or measure without interrupting the flow of the commodity in transferring the latter from one receptacle to another.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide novel means, preferably automatic in its operation, for diverting the flow of the commodity from a receptacle that has been' illed to desired capacity to another empty receptacle.

Other objects of the invention, as well as the details of construction and operation will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly 111 section and partly in elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with' our invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View of the circuit including the electromagnetic deflector actuating means.

Figs. 4c to 6 inclusive are views of details.

Briefly stated, the invention comprlses a main hopper into which the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled is initially introduced. This hopper is provided with an outlet through which the commodity is discharged in a downwardly falling stream. Positioned in thev path of this stream is an oscillating deliector operable to divert the stream from one to another of a plurality of scale hoppers locatedbeneath the main hopper. Means, automatic or manual in its operation, is provided for actuating the deliector to divert the stream from a hopper that has been filled to a de- Serial No. 465.133.

sired capacity to an empty hopper. Concave walls located on opposite sides of the defiector provide a passage through which the stream passes from the main hopper on its way to the scale hoppers and said walls are adjustable to prevent clogging of the de-v flector. Each scale hopper is provided with means for discharging the contents thereof mto a suitably positioned receptacle adapted to serve as the ultimate container for the commodity.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 and 12 designate a pair of tables supported each by a plurality of legs 13 depending thereirom. Each table is utilized to support thereon the base member 14 of a scale hopper'l, the scale or dial structure being designated 16, and adapted to indicate the weight of material deposited in the hopper 15 as will be well understood, although not shown in detail. Each hopper 15 has the bottom portion thereof divided into two sections 17 hinged to the body of the hopper as indicated at 18. Each section 17 is connected by a link 19 to one end of a bar 20. A bolt 21 passing through the intermediate portion of the bar 20 is movable vertically in a slotted guide member 22 secured to one end of the hopper and is adapted to, be maintained in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a wing nut 23 thread` ed on the outer end of the bolt and adapted to clamp the guide member 22 between the head 24 of the bolt and the plate 20. Upon referring to Figs. 1 and 6, it will be readily understood that by loosening the win nut 23 and moving the bolt 21 downwar ly in the guide member 22, the sections 17 will be swung to open position, while closing movement of said sections may be effected by raising the bolt 21 upwardly in the guide member 22 and tightening the nut 23 to maintain the sections closed.

In the present instance, two hoppers 15 are employed and both are contained within the lower open end of a rectangular casing 25. This casing is adjustably supported for vertical movement with respect to the tables 11 and 12 and the hoppers 15 through the medium of adjusting bolts 26 threaded upwardly through the horizontal arms27 of a pair of brackets 28 carriedy by the tables 11 and 12, the free ends ot said bolts being suitably engaged with posts 29 secured to opposite sides of the casing. l/Vithin the upper end ol casing 25 are located a pair ot oppositely disposed inclined walls 36 delining between them a hopper 31 having a bottom outlet 32 controlled by adjustable slides 33. Any suitable means (not shown). may be provided for maintaining the slides 33 in adjusted position. v

Disposed below and extending longitudinally of the hopper outlet 32 is a pivot shaft 3d, the opposite ends ot which are extended outwardly through opposite walls of the casing 25, one ot said ends being equipped with a rigid cross head 35. This shaft carries within the casing 25 an oscillatable del'lector plate 36 secured to the shaft intermediate oit its width, as shown to advantage in Fig. 1, and provided with end Yflanges 37 adapted to bear against opposite walls of the casing 25. Supported directly below the sha'l't 3e is a stop bar 38. The bar 36 is triangular in cross section presenting upwardly converging side walls 39 adapted for engagement with the underneath side ot the detlector plate 36 to limit oscillation of the latter in either direction.

Located on opposite sides of the detlector plate 36 are a pair of adjustable concave wall plates Ll0. Each plate 40 is suitably carried by the inner ends ot a pair of ad justing screws lll, the outer ends of Said screws being provided with heads 4t2. The walls rl deline betweenv them a passage lor the stream of commodity falling from the hopper 31 and are adjustable relative to the detlector 36 to prevent clogging of the latter. Located beneath the scale hoppers is a suitable receptacle support 43, upon which the receptacles to be lilled are disposed. This support may be in the form of an endless conveyor as shown in the present 1nstance, 'and may be operable either manually or automatically to successively dispose pairs ot empty receptacles lli below the hoppers 15 to be illed.

lhen it is desired to increase the capacity or the hoppers 15, additional sections 15a are associated therewith, the casing being adjusted vertically to compensate tor the yincreased depth ot the hoppers. rlhe additional sections 15a are held in place by the fingers 15b depending therefrom and adapted to embrace the hoppers 15.

ln practice, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the commodity with which the receptacles tl are to be filled is initially placed in the hopper 31. From this hopper, the commodity or material is discharged through the opening 32 in a falling stream against the defiector 36 being directed toward the central portion of the detlector by adjustable guides 33, to prevent inadvertent actuation of the detlector as would occur if the stream trom the hopper were deflected against the uppermost edge ot the detiector instead of against the central portion thereof. From the detlector 36, the stream passes into the left hand hopper 15 iilling this hopper to the desired capacity. TW hen the hopper has been thus filled to the desired capacity, the deflector 36 is oscillated either manually or automatically, as will be later described, to divert the stream into the right hand hopper 15. By manipulating the nut 23 to open the doors 17, the material contained in the left hand hopper 15 may be discharged into the receptacle de disposed therebeneath, the sections 17 being subscquently swung to closed position to provide for refilling of the hopper.

Preferably, l desire that the deflector 36 be automatic in its operation and to this end, l provide a pair of solenoids l5 secured to one end oli' the casing 14. Each solenoid has the core 16 thereof connected, asby means of a link a7 to one end of the cross head 35. Each solenoid is in circuit with a battery 118 and with one of the scales 16 having one terminal thereof connected, as indicated at 49 to the pointer 50 of the scale, and the remaining terminal thereof is connected as indicated at 51 to one terminal ot the battery 46, the opposite terminal ot said battery being connected as indicated at 52 to a contact plug 53. `The plug 53 is adapted to be removably and adjustably associated with the scale 16, so as to contact with the pointer when the latter reaches any 'desired unit of measurement. ln Fig. 3, the plug is shown as arranged to contact with the pointer 50 when the latter has been moved to indicate twenty pounds. With this arrangement, it will be evident that the flow of material into one of the scale hoppers will continue until the weight ol the material in the hopper becomes such as to move the pointer 50 oi' the scale into contact with the plug 53, thus closing the circuit to the solenoid associated with the hopper and causing sald solenoid, through its connection with the cross head 35, to reverse the position of the delector 36, thus diverting the stream ot commodity into the remaining hopper. llVhen this has been done, the contents ol' the filled hopper may be discharged into the receptacle le positioned therebeneath by loosening the wing nut 23 and moving thebolt 21 downwardly in the slotted guide member 22 to swing the `bottom sections 17 ot the hopper to open position.

in some instances, however, it may be prelerred to operate the dellector 36 by toot or hand power, and for this reason, we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact operating mechanism set 'forth herein, but reserve the right to resort to such modifications and changes both in the operating mechanism and in the other parts of the invention, as

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mames may be desired and do not constitute a departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed i's':

l. A receptacle filling apparatus comprising a pair of rigidly supported relatively adjustable walls, means for producing a flowing stream of the commodity with which said receptacles are to be filled and causing said stream to pass between said walls and a deflector located between said walls operable to successively7 deflect the stream into each of the receptacles to be filled.

2. A receptacle .filling apparatus comprising means for producing a flowing stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled, a defiector movable into the path of the stream to successively divert the same into each of a plurality of receptacles, means for actuating said deflector, and adjustable means for regulating the point of impact between the stream and the deflector to prevent inadvertent actuation of the latter.

3. A receptacle filling apparatus compris` ing means for producing a flowing stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled, a plurality of measuring hoppers, a deflector in the path of the stream adapted to defiect the latter successively into each of said hoppers, said defiector having a predetermined definite location with respect to the open ends of said hoppers, an additional hopper section adapted to be associated with each hopper to increase the capacity thereof, and means for adjusting said deflector when the additional hopper sections are in use to maintain the original definite location between the deflector and the open ends of the hopper.

t. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising means for producing a falling stream of the commodity with which the recep` tacles are to be filled, rigid concave walls providing between them, a passage for the said stream, means for adjusting said walls to vary the size of the passage and a deflect` ing member movable in the passage to divert the stream from one receptacle to another.

5. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising means for producing a falling stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled, spaced walls, providing a passage between them for the said stream, a defiector movable in said passage to divert the said stream from one receptacle to another, means for actuating said defiector, and means for varying the size of the passage, including supporting members con" nected to the said walls and adjustable to move the latter relatively to one another.

6. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising means for producing a falling stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled, a defiector located in the path of the stream and operable. to defiect the stream from one receptacle to another, means for oscillating said deiiector, and a stop member' presenting oppositely sloping sides alternately engageable with the defiector to limit movement of the latter in either direction.

7. A receptacle filling apparatus comprising means for producing a falling stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled a deflector for diverting the stream from one receptacle to another, and electro-magnetic means for actuating said deflector, including a air of solenoids and a cross head carried y the deflector and connected at its ends to the cores of the solenoids.

8. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising means for producing a falling stream of the commodity with which the receptacles are to be filled, a shaft, a defiector carried by the shaft and operable to divert the stream from one receptacle to another, a pair of solenoids mounted on opposite sides of the shaft, a cross head fixed to the shaft and linked at its ends to the cores of the said solenoids and means for alternately energizing the solenoids to effect oscillation of the defiector.

9, A receptacle filling apparatus, oomprising a casing, a hopper in the upper portion thereof, a pair of spaced concaved walls mounted in the casing below the hopper, adjusting screws threaded through the casing and supporting said walls and a deflector mounted between the walls.

l0. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising a casing, a hopper in the upper portion thereof, spaced concave walls mounted in the casing below the hopper, a Shaft extending between said walls, a deflector secured to the shaft with the longitudinal edges of the defiector projecting upon opposite sides of the shaft and a stop presenting sloping surfaces also projecting upon op site sides of the shaft for engagement with the projecting portions of the defiector to limit the movement of the latter in either direction, and means for actuating said shaft to oscillate the defiector.

11. A receptacle filling apparatus, comprising a casing, a hopper mounted in the upper portion thereof, a pair of spaced walls mounted in the c asing below the hopper, a defiector mounted between said walls, scale hoppers supported below said deflector, means for increasing the capacity of the said scale hoppers and means for adjusting the position of the said casing to compensate for the increased capacity of the hoppers.

12. A receptacle filling apparatus comprising a hopper, a shaft mounted below the hopper and equipped with a defiector a cross head fixed to the shaft, a pair o solenoids, each having the core thereof connected to one end of the cross head7 a pair of scale hoppers.,4 each having a weighing mechanism associated therewith including a pointer, and a graduated scale for indicating the weight of the lhopper contents, contact plugs engageable with said graduated scales to Contact with the pointers upon movement of the latter to. predetermined units oi measure on the scales and a norinally open circuit including therein the solenoids,plugs7 and pointers and adapted to be closed by engagement of the pointersl mi prisingl a casing, a hopper mounted in the upper portionl thereof7 spaced concaved walls mounted in the casing below the hop per, a deflector mounted between said walls, scale hogpers enclosed by the lower portion of the casing7 each of said hoppers having weighii'ig` mechanism associated therewith, including a pointer and a graduated scale over which the pointer is movable to ndicate vtheweight of the hopper contents, and electro-magnetic means for actuating the de flector to shut off the flow of each hopper upon movement of the pointer thereof to a predetermined unit on the associated graduated scale.

THEGDOR-E WESTEN. R. J. MOREHGUSE. 

